The Trinity Spotlight December 2022 Issue

TRINITY SPOTLIGHT

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Trinity

It's hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of another year. 2022 just seems to have disappeared so quickly. It only seems like yesterday that I was on holiday in the sun for the first time in 3 years. As the weather gets colder I could do with another sunny break. Though given the way costs are increasing at the moment that might be a while coming again. There seeems to be nothing in the news at the moment except doom and gloom - with rising fuel and household costs, war, climate change predictions, strikes looming and a recession on the horizon life in general is tough. I have to say I have given up watching or listening to the news as much as I can. I am usually a cup half full person who sees the positive in people and things happening. I like to smile and be happy and cheery, thats just my nature. But with all the negativity floating around at the moment that can be hard to maintain. The general mood can start to pull you down, which combined with less sunshine in the winter months is not great for mental health.

I discovered yoga at the start of this year. I was a bit unsure about going to my firsts class but was encouraged by a friend so took the plunge. For me it has been the best thing I have done in a long time. It was a bit strange to start with and I didn't get the whole 'calm your mind' thing. I would try to relax but my brain wouldn't switch off. But somewhere along the way that changed. Now when I step onto my yoga mat I can clear my mind of the many thought swirling in there, the thoughts that 'do not serve me well'. I can relax and, mostly, enjoy the yoga poses - some look so simple but boy do they test your body and your balance. I come away from class refreshed and relaxed ready to face the world. We all need something that helps us switch off and recharge our batteries. I hope you find the thing that works best for you.

Best Wishes Sue

The Trinity Spotlight

Editor : Sue Hutchison M : 07817 206 418 E: sue@trinityspotlight.co.uk www.trinityspotlight.co.uk “All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All artwork is accepted on strict condition that is it legal/ copyright free and permission has been given for use in this publication. The views and opinions by contributors to this magazine may not represent the views of the publisher. The Trinity Spotlight magazine takes no

Granton

Granton Parish Church 55 Boswall Parkway Edinburgh, EH5 2DA Thursdays 7pm

Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Granton

Granton Parish Church 55 Boswall Parkway Edinburgh, EH5 2DA Fridays 9.30am Tel: Anne 07821 273666

Inverleith

Ferranti Bowling Club 7 Arboretum Place Edinburgh, EH3 5NY Tuesdays 9.00am and 5.30pm Tel: Andrew 07849 109641

Leith

United Reformed Church

108A Duke Street Edinburgh, EH6 8HL

NEW TIMES from JANUARY 2023

Thursdays 4.00pm & 5.30pm

Tel: Lee 07525 093604

Leith

United Reformed Church

108A Duke Street Edinburgh, EH6 8HL Saturdays 8.30am

Tel: Lee 07525 093604

HARD SUDOKU

HOW TO PLAY

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through to 9 with no repetition!

Thats all there is to it.

You solve the puzzle with reason and logic - there’s no maths involved and no adding up.

Its fun. Its challenging Its addictive. (Soln on pg 41)

Tai Chi and Qigong Course (4 weeks)

Tuesdays, 11.15am from 17th January 2023

An Update From Councillor Kayleigh O'Neill

I’m very happy and grateful for having the opportunity to write in this month’s edition of Trinity Spotlight. December and the holiday season is inevitably a time for reflection so I wanted my first piece to cover what I’m looking back on and what I’m looking forward to in the new year.

After being elected in May I remember feeling a great deal of pressure in that I am my party’s first Councillor for the ward and I am the youngest councillor in this session’s cohort – I’ve also found out that I am the second youngest of all time!

Feelings of pressure and imposter syndrome had to be dealt with quickly because soon I was waist deep in committee papers, training, casework and ward research. As well as this I had issues with accessibility. I expected to have some issues as a wheelchair user coming to work in City Chambers but the most difficult barrier has been the accepted culture of politics being for people that are a certain age, gender, look and ability.

In every committee, meeting and setting I find myself in, I’m very proud to share my lived experience as a disabled person and ergo representing a group of people that is often overlooked. I am also careful not to talk over others’ experience and I spend most weekends visiting people and places that can help me understand how even more people can be helped and represented in council.

I’ll now share a bit of what I’m up to in December and what’s coming next from your Green councillor.

I have been working closely with the Place Directorate about the development and roll-out of the Warm & Welcoming Spaces initiative. Sadly, many this Winter will be struggling to heat their homes and this will have a detrimental impact on physical and mental health. I pushed for these spaces to be accessible, welcoming to all and importantly spread out across the ward so wherever you live you can access support.

I’m also keen on working with Transport and Place teams to look at the incoming pavement parking ban, dropped kerb programme and the scourge of potholes and wonky pavements that you’ll see on a daily basis. If you have questions or comments on the above I’d be very grateful for your input.

As a councillor with access needs I am still in the process of setting up surgery dates. In the meantime if you need to speak to me please feel free to contact me at cllr.kayleigh.oneill@edinburgh.gov.uk or on 07514 318633.

Take care all.

‘Unlock’ – A new way to sell your home

The ESPC and a group of solicitor estate agents including ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan have launched ‘Unlock’ which is a new way to market properties for sale.

Many people would like to move home but are worried that they will sell their home but it won’t give them time to find their next perfect home. They are put off by the possibility of having to move to a temporary rental property or buying the wrong property because they are in a hurry to buy something before their sale date.

Unlock allows your solicitor estate agent to market your property for sale but with the added assurance that you will have time to find your next home. This is done by adding a clause to the missives that gives you the option to withdraw from the sale if you can’t find a new home that you love and meets your needs and requirements. The home buyer will be given a long date of entry, typically six months, which should give you time to find the right home. This option allows you to fully progress with the sale of your home and secure a committed buyer, whilst also having the security that you can withdraw from the sale if you need to.

Unlock is only available through ESPC’s network of solicitor estate agents and provides a creative solution to those sellers who want to find a property first before selling. It’s never too early to talk to us about Unlock, it could be the answer to your home move.

Unlock for home sellers

Unlock allows homeowners to market and accept an offer on their home, subject to criteria they set related to their next property purchase. The advantages of Unlock to home sellers are highlighted as:

1. You get a longer date of entry to allow you time to find a new home.

2. You will be in a stronger buyer position having already agreed on a sale for your home.

3. You will know exactly how much you can afford, meaning you can really target the right home for you.

If you are considering selling a property and believe Unlock may be the right option for you but would like to find out more, please get in touch with our property team. We can answer all your questions and help you decide if you want to market your property with Unlock.

Unlock for home buyers

What does Unlock mean for home buyers? The main benefit to home buyers is that some new exciting properties may appear on the market as sellers feel safer selling with Unlock. To secure this property, you will likely have to face a longer entry date but this will give you time to prepare for your move.

The Missives will be concluded which means that you have purchased the property and you won’t lose out to a higher bidder several months later. However, there will be additional clauses added to the Missives to protect the seller. They will most likely state that they can withdraw from the sale if they can’t find a new home. They may offer compensation if this happens. Your solicitor will explain all Unlock clauses before you sign the Missives.

You can read more about Unlock for home buyers on the ESPC website or contact one of our conveyancing solicitors at ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan who will be able to explain it in detail. You don’t need to worry about Unlock unless the property you would like to buy has been marked as an Unlock property on the ESPC.

Unlock and ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan

We are one of the solicitor estate agents that has signed up to Unlock with the ESPC. Our team of property solicitors and estate agents has been fully trained in the process. We can answer all your questions which will help you decide if selling your home with Unlock is the right process for you.

An Article From Deidre Brock MP

The stakes were high going into this year’s UN COP27 climate conference, but the outcome has been met with widespread disappointment. Despite some welcome progress on loss and damage funding for developing countries, the final agreement included no strengthened commitments to “phase down” or reduce the use of fossil fuels. It's thought that might have something to do with the more than 600 fossil fuel lobbyists at this year’s event, a rise of 25% compared to Glasgow's COP26. Lobbyists outnumbered the delegations of any single country apart from the UAE, which is hosting next year’s event.

Powerful lobbying groups are exerting worrying influence on some of the most consequential issues of our time. In UK politics, a spate of opaquely funded right-wing think tanks have made challenging Net Zero one of their core objectives, and it’s well documented that the ideas of some of these groups, most notably the Institute of Economic Affairs, directly inspired much of the disastrous mini-budget introduced by the short-lived Liz Truss government. I recently challenged the latest Prime Minister on the funding of such bodies and that they continue to receive charitable tax status despite explicitly political aims.

My question was timely. Last month Who Funds You?, a project now run by openDemocracy, the online global magazine, published an audit of 28 of the UK’s most prominent think tanks. It found the ten least transparent bodies have raised over £14 million from mystery donors in the past two years. Some of these think tanks, including the likes of the IEA and the Adam Smith Institute, have had hundreds of meetings with UK ministers since 2012.

Our democracy is particularly vulnerable to shadowy funding from vested interests during elections. Bodies known as ‘unincorporated associations’ are increasingly being used to funnel money from unknown sources to parties and candidates. A spate of such campaigning groups sprang up in the days before last year’s Scottish Parliament vote, spending many thousands between them on digital adverts pushing tactical voting. openDemocracy uncovered that one of these was funded by the pro-Trump ‘Turning Point UK’ and reached an estimated 70,000 voters in the final days before the election. In Scotland, digital political adverts are supposed to carry an imprint detailing who paid for them, but none of these groups did.

I’m a member of the all-party group for Electoral Campaigning Transparency, which made a series of recommendations to the UK government for the Elections Bill, including putting the identity of these donors out in the open, strengthening the Electoral Commission’s powers and raising the maximum penalties. However, objections such as these were ignored, prompting the Commission itself to take the highly unusual step of writing a public letter to the Tory Government to protest plans to limit the body's independence.

Online political advertising is still a wild west and shouldn't be left to the whim of tech companies that profit from hateful fake news. Until the sector is properly regulated, it’s always worth questioning where these organisations whose ads you're seeing have sourced their funding and whose interests they are really serving.

NEW

Ho! Ho! Ho! We’re now in the Festive Season, which for many of us means an increase in opportunities to ‘eat, drink & be merry!’. And although we know that this may result in the gain of a few, or more, extra pounds, we try to put that to the back of our minds and decide to address that issue later … Often that ‘later’ is the 1st of January: A bright shiney New Year Resolution to reduce our weight and we tell ourselves that this time we’ll definitely stick with the plan. (Ho!Ho!Ho! – How many people have said that to themselves and found that, sadly, they’ve often ‘fallen off the wagon’ in January!). Studies & surveys have concluded that by February, as many as 80% of New Year Resolutions will have been abandoned!

So I’ve listed below some pitfalls to avoid: Setting Unrealistic Resolutions – A resolution is about what you’d like to do, rather than what you ‘should’ do.

Lack of Accountability – Working with a coach, mentor or accountability partner increases the likelihood of staying on track.

No Tracking/Reviews – What gets measured, gets done!

Lack of Planning – Great planning is always required for good implementation.

Unclear Objectives – A majority of people fail to achieve their objectives because their ‘why’ is unclear. The ‘why’ is what motivates people to take action and achieve their goals.

Self Doubt – The future is usually a projection of the past – past failures affect our sense of self-belief.

Mindset – Owning a vision of what you intend to create in your life and living your life in accordance with it.

Hypnosis is exceedingly effective in creating a positive mindset by reprogramming negative thoughts, beliefs & patterns that have been resulting in lack of success.

So whether it’s weight management, or something else, I can offer you Hypnotherapy & Coaching tools to:

• Change your self-talk – words & language are crucial in boosting a positive self-identity

By Gillian Dalgliesh Clinical Hypnotherapist & Personal Change Expert

• Live in your present, instead of re-living your past – past failures usually affect our sense of self-belief

• Replace that harsh Inner Critic, who is masquerading as being helpful, with the Inner Coach

• Raise your personal awareness & develop self-care strategies

• Consciously discover gratitude – it is a natural, powerful, healing tool that helps to people to refocus, re-charge and re-calibrate as well as much else.

I could write on and on but I am running out of space. If you would like more information or a free telephone consultation, then please do get in touch.

Gillian Dalgliesh is a Clinical Hypnotherapist & Personal Change Expert based in Stockbridge, with 88 x 5 Star Google Reviews. See ad for contact details.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Learning a Second Language.

How are the New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Better health? Travel more? Be more sociable? Whatever you have in mind, you may be surprised to hear that learning a foreign language will fit quite nicely into your plans. AND deliver hidden health benefits. Here are 5 reasons you should consider taking up a foreign language in 2023, which go above and beyond having a great holiday….

1. Improve Memory

Research shows that people who speak a second language regularly perform better on memory tests than monolingual people. It makes no difference whether they learned the language as a child or as an adult, either. Learning new phrases and then reproducing them orally improves the memory in all other areas of life.

2. Help the symptoms of depression

The social aspect of learning a new language and learning how to communicate better with others has been proven to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Improved self-esteem through mastering a new skill is thought to contribute to these positive effects, as well as the feeling of being part of a wider social network.

3. Delay the onset of dementia

Many studies, including one by Dr Thomas Bak at the University of Edinburgh, have shown that learning a second language can reduce the onset of dementia by at least 5 years. There have even been suggestions that language lessons should be available on the NHS as the effect on the brain is equal to or better than some drugs currently provided.

4. A healthier and bigger brain

Many studies, including the Swedish MRI study, have shown that learning a second language in adulthood results in a larger brain! Specifically, your cerebral cortex and hippocampus enlarge, resulting in an increase in attention, perception, and self-awareness.

5. It’s never too late. Especially encouraging is the news that bilingual benefits still hold for those of us who do not learn our second languages as children. Edinburgh University researchers point out that their research clearly shows that knowing another language is advantageous, regardless of when you learn it.

Speak Out Languages’ new French, Italian, Spanish and German courses start in Great King Street in January, designed to build confidence to speak. To book your spot, visit www.speakoutwithconfidence.com or call 0131 618 3604.

Scottish Prestige Awards - Mortgage Broker Of The Year 2022.

Finalists in the 2019, 2020 Scottish Mortgage Awards for both Best Mortgage Broker Edinburgh & Scotland categories.

Shortlisted 2022 for Best Regional Broker for both Edinburgh and Central region.

Simple Pleasures

By Tracy Griffen

We’re nearly at the end of another year, the nights are getting longer and the prospect of hibernating until the new year beckons. Whether or not you experience SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), this time of year can be disorienting. We rise in the dark, go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do everything. So don’t. This festive season, give yourself a break. Do less than you intend to. Turn off the TV, social media and your screens. Live IRL (in real life), and enjoy the time in between doing stuff. That is where enjoyment lies. Here are some ideas for idle winter days:

- Walk up a hill : Look at the weather forecast and choose a dry day. Prepare a bag the night before with your favourite snacks and hat / gloves / waterproof. You might even want to take a flask of hot tea. I carry a travel towel and a bin bag so I have something waterproof to sit on (and you can use aforementioned bin bag for an impromptu litter pick, very satisfying).

- Make ginger beer : Into an empty 2L fizzy pop bottle add 1 cup of sugar, the juice of 1 lemon, a finely chopped inch knob of ginger, ½ tsp dried active yeast, and fill with water. Leave a reasonable gap at the top for the gas to expand. Tighten lid and shake. Leave out for a day (you might need to release gas) then chill in fridge. Strain to serve. Delicious after indulgent days.

- Read a good book : Read a chapter a day of an informative book. Search the Edinburgh Library catalogue online and reserve books you’ve been meaning to read. ‘The Circadian Code’ by Dr Satchin Panda is my latest reading recommendation.

- Plan a project for 2023 : Whether you’re entering an event or going on an adventure, start the research and preparation before the days start getting longer.

- Make soup and freeze it : Use up leftover vegetables by making a big pot of soup. Freeze what you don’t eat. If you make a pot of soup a day for a week you will end up stocking up your freezer cheaply. Or swap with a neighbour.

- Stretch! : Whether you follow a yoga YouTube workout, or have your own favourite exercises, use the darker nights as time to work on your flexibility. You can even stretch in front of the telly in your jammies. It will help prevent back pain from sitting too much.

Personal Trainer Tracy Griffen runs a private fitness studio in Leith and enjoys helping her clients achievetheir goals, whilst enjoying a good quality of life. Call her on 07743 741 088 or visit www.griffenfitness.com.

FRIENDS OF STARBANK PARK 2023 CALENDAR AND CARDS

In order to raise funds, the Friends of Starbank Park have again produced a calendar as well as cards for the coming year, 2023. Calendars and cards are available at Starbank Park every Wednesday and Saturday from 10.00 –12.00 p.m. Outlets for the calendars include Elliott Clark Flowers in Montagu Terrace, Porto and Fi in Newhaven and the Newhaven Connections Cafe in Craighall Road. The calendars cost £6.00 and the cards are £2.00 each.

Due to great demand in our community our Luxury Wreath-Making Kits will also be offered this year. These kits will be distributed early December so please make sure to pre-order. Remember, you can also send the calendar to friends and/or relatives here or abroad. In this case, size really does matter - the Post Office has an A4 size hard backed envelope and it fits perfectly.

Community Spotlight

PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

Across: 1 Caper, 4 Franc, 7 Rings, 8 Arise, 9 Tit, 10 Lay-by, 13 Steps, 16 Blues, 19 North, 22 Tea, 23 Ratio, 24 Ideal, 25 Eyrie, 26 Doyen.

Down: 1 Coral, 2 Penny, 3 Rusty, 4 Flats, 5 Aside, 6 Chess, 11 Awl, 12 Bee, 4 Two, 15 Pet, 16 Berne, 17 Utter, 18 Stove, 19 Naiad, 20 Reedy, 21 Helen.

Children Plant Trees

Raises

EDINBURGH FLORAL ART CLUB MEETINGS

The club meets at Blackhall St. Columba’s Church hall, Queensferry Road, the second Friday of each month from 2pm to 4pm

Future Meetings

9th December

Jane Gordon ‘Countdown to Christmas’

10th February ‘The Club Entertains’

Membership for the year is £20 and new members and visitors are always welcome.

In Edinburgh's Victoria Park And Community

More Than £5000 For Further Improvements

In November, pupils from Trinity Primary School planted new trees in Victoria Park, as part of an initiative by the Friends of Victoria Park. The community group also raised a record £5430 for a mural and other improvements for all park users.

A small group of native trees, all grown in the UK, have been requested by the Friends of Victoria Park from the Woodland Trust as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy project and will be planted in the area of Victoria Park behind Trinity Primary School. The trees will allow children to learn about native trees, provide homes and food for birds, insects and other wildlife and help improve air quality in the park.

The Friends of Victoria Park have also raised £5430 from Edinburgh City Council (£2500), National Lottery Community Fund (£2150) and the local community through a crowdfunding appeal (£780) for further improvements. Most of this will fund a community arts project to cover up graffiti on a former pumphouse in the park. Next summer, Chris Rutterford, the artist behind the popular Colinton tunnel mural, will work with students from Trinity Academy to design and realise the pumphouse mural inspired by its setting, e.g. plants, animals and activities in the park.

Lucy Metcalfe, chair of the Friends of Victoria Park, said: “We’ve been blown away by the success of our fundraising campaign for the pumphouse mural as we’ve exceeded our target of £4650. We are grateful for the generous support from various organisations and local residents which will allow students to develop their artistic skills, help foster a sense of local community and pride and discourage graffiti in our park.”

The Friends of Victoria Park are now exploring how best to use the surplus funding and which projects to pursue beyond that. Ideas suggested so far include a fitness circuit, more play equipment, tree labeling and an additional perennial wildflower meadow. See the group’s Facebook page for further details: www.facebook.com/fovpedinburgh/.

Accountants

AH & Co Chartered Accountants 36

Cowan & Partners 29 TaxAssist Accountants 20

Bakery

Green Bite Cafe & Bakery 7

Blind Suppliers Bomar 20

Building Services

Penplaid 12 Ronald G Graham 29

Cafes

Green Bite Cafe & Bakery 7

Care Homes Trinity House 3 Carpets & Flooring Bomar 20

Christmas Events

Christmas At Nomads Tent 11 Christmas At The Botanics 1, 21-24

Complementary Therapies Gillian Dalgleish 26

Computer Services AV & PC Home Help 9 User2computers 39

Dance Classes

Stockbridge Scottish Reelers 8

Decorating Services

AM Decorating 9

Craighall Decorators 31 DCM Construction 38 EH5 Decor 19

Driveways

Aileen Rankin Designs 19 Alpine Paving & Driveways 11 Edinburgh Driveways & Landscaping 13

Eating Out

Christmas At The Botanics 21-24 Green Bite Cafe & Bakery 7

Electricians

Kelly Electrical 37 McElhone Electrical 7

Estate Agents

ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan 16/17 Gibson Kerr 33

Family Law Gibson Kerr 32 Garden Design Aileen Rankin Designs 19

Gardening Services Aileen Rankin Designs 19

Gas

& Central Heating

TB Mackay Energy Services 2 Scott Findlay Plumbing & Heating Engineers 27

Gift Shop

Christmas At Nomads Tent 11 Christmas At The Botanics 21- 24

Glaziers

Trinity Glazing 15

Going Out Stockbridge Scottish Reelers 8

Handyman Services House Hero 38

Health & Wellness Slimming World 5 Health & Fitness Griffen Fitness 37 Tai Chi & Qigong Relaxation Classes 11

Health Food Shops Real Foods 44

Hearing Services Hear Here 10 Hypnotherapy Gillian Dalgleish 26 Joinery Services Penplaid 12

Landscaping Services Edinburgh Driveways & Landscaping 13

Language Tuition Inlingua 7 Speak Out With Confidence 31

Mortgages

Malleny Mortgage Solutions 32 Organic Produce Real Foods 44

Paving Services Alpine Paving & Driveways 11

Plastering

DCM Construction 38

Plumbing Services Scott Findlay Plumbing & Heating Engineers 27

Roofing Services Edinburgh Roofing 28 Gallen Roofing 29 Ronald G Graham 29 SPM Roofing 35 Traditional Roofing 19

Royal Botanic Gardens Christmas At The Botanics 1, 21-24

Rubbish Removal Joe Junk 13

Rug/Kilim Repair &Cleaning Nomads Tent 11

Solicitors

ELP Arbuthnott McClanachan 16/17 Gibson Kerr 33

Tai Chi Classes Tai Chi & Qigong Relaxation Classes 11

Tree Surgeons

Heartwood Tree Care 13 Trees4scotland 9

Weight Management Slimming World 5 Window Renovation Craftworx 18